Blog: Bringing in Indigenous Perspectives on Synthetic Biology for Conservation
Jill Furgurson | Dr. Kirsty Wissing's colloquium presentation highlighted the essential role of Indigenous participation in shaping conservation agendas, advocating for approaches that honor traditional ecological knowledge....Continue reading "Blog: Bringing in Indigenous Perspectives on Synthetic Biology for Conservation"
WIRED: Process of Elimination
A deep dive into the inception of the Genetic Biocontrol of Invasive Rodents (GBIRd) program, this article in WIRED details how Karl Campbell of Island Conservation came across GES Co-Director Fred Gould's research suggesting that the genetic engineering techniques being used to manage insect populations could also be applied to other species, like rodents. And then, what happened when CRISPR came along....
Scientific American: Could Genetic Engineering Save the Galápagos?
Campbell first became intrigued by the possibilities of gene drive in 2011, when he sat in on a conference call between biologists at NC State University and officials of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to discuss a possible genetic approach to control a runaway mouse problem on Southeast Farallon Island, about 20 miles west of the California coast, near San Francisco. John Godwin, a North Carolina State neurobiologist who studies animal behavior, had learned of the Farallon issue while skimming the Internet in 2011. He happened to be at a university with an established infrastructure dedicated to experimenting with—and considering the ethical implications of—genetic manipulation....Continue reading "Scientific American: Could Genetic Engineering Save the Galápagos?"
NC State Receives DARPA Funding to Develop, Test Gene Drive System
For Immediate Release August 3, 2017 John Godwin | 919.513.2936 North Carolina State University researchers have received funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop and test a system that would reduce populations of...Continue reading "NC State Receives DARPA Funding to Develop, Test Gene Drive System"